Micah, chapter 2

Punishment for Those Who Abuse Their Power

Doomed! You're doomed!

At night you lie in bed, making evil plans.

And when morning comes, you do what you've planned

because you have the power.

²You grab any field or houseI that you want;

you cheat families out of homes and land.

³But here is what the Lord says:

“I am planning trouble for you.

Your necks will be caught in a noose,

and you will be disgraced in this time of disaster.”

⁴When that happens, this sorrowful songI

will be sung about you:

“Ruined! Completely ruined! The Lord has taken our land

and given it to traitors.”*

⁵And so you will never again own property

among the Lord's people.

⁶“Enough of your preaching!” That's what you tell me.

“We won't be disgraced, so stop preachingH!”

⁷Descendants of Jacob, is it right for you to claim

that the Lord did what he did because he was angry?

Doesn't he always bless those who do rightP?

⁸My people, you have turned against one another!

You have even stolen clothes right off the backs

of innocent neighbors who pass by in peace.*

⁹You take over lovely homes that belong to the women

of my nation.

Then you cheat their children out of the inheritanceO

that comes from the Lord.*

¹⁰Get out of here, you crooks! You'll find no rest here.

You're not fit to belong to the Lord's people,

and you will be destroyed.*

¹¹The only prophet you want is a liar who will say,

“Drink and get drunk!”

A Promise of Hope

¹²I, the Lord, promise to bring together

the people of Israel who have survived.

I will gather them, just as a shepherd brings sheep together,

and there will be many.

¹³I will break down the gate and lead them out—

then I will be their kingI.